“Per ora qua, poi si vedrà …” : prospettive future e contatti con l’Italia degli italiani a Malta

Abstract

Italians constitute the largest group of non-natives in Malta. Geographical proximity and the desire to live and work in an Anglophone context are among the main reasons which attract them to the island. In this paper I present the results obtained through a questionnaire designed to investigate language use and contacts with Italy. Italians in Malta have several occasions to use their mother tongue and they use authentic Italian products which are easily accessible locally. Even though respondents state that they have settled quite well in Malta some of them experience inclusion problems, even if they have been on the island for many years. Others express uncertainty regarding their future and are undecided as to whether remain in Malta, return to Italy or move elsewhere. Subjects with Italian-Maltese dual citizenship also maintain their ties with Italy and speak Italian frequently.